Monthly Archives: October 2023

A misty, cool, damp start to the day, it wasn’t going to stop me from getting out into Nature. Pugneys CP was to be my first port of call for the day, then moving onto Cromwell Bottom to finish the day off.

Started off around the main lake, at Pugneys, seeing Cormorants, Wigeon, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Lapwing, Black headed Gulls, and Herring Gulls. I made my way down to the Nature Reserve where I found a couple already set up in the hide, there was only one bench to sit on, they were on it, on inquiry as to the lack of seating, the rest had been removed due to certain individuals throwing them in the beck, so temptation was removed, which made viewing for me now difficult so I moved on. I ended up in the smaller hide which overlooks the main lake, there was benches, so I settled in, instantly hearing a Cetti’s warbler calling, very much heard but seen very little, this was followed quickly by a Water Rail calling, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch and Robin were all seen with eventually, after hearing it earlier, the Water Rail showed giving excellent views. Out on the lake were Grey Heron, Great Crested grebe, Cormorants, Tufted Duck, Black headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Lesser Black backed Gulls, Mute Swan and Canada Geese.

After all this I moved on again, this time taking the Sanadal Castle footpath and took the turning off to the right side down towards the farm area. On the flooded field were more Black headed Gulls, Wigeon, Teal Grey Heron, and Mallard, a flock of Redwing went over and there were a few Bullfinch in the hedgerow. Time had moved on and coffee and cake were calling, so I made my way slowly around to the café area, settling on a chip butty with coffee, so with belly full I set off for my next destination, Cromwell Bottom, near Brighouse.

I arrived at Cromwell a little later than expected due to a small detour. I started off down at the weir, a Grey Heron was stood over at the far side, a few Mallards (2♂ 1♀), there was also a single Cormorant. I then worked my way into the reserve, very little around the reserve today, seems to be all hiding. I missed out on the feeding station, decided on coming back later, down on to the riverside path, my usual route, hoping for Redpoll and Goldcrests, but alas not a single thing.

Up to where I could see the ski lake, hoping foe something here, there were a few gulls, Black headed, and Herring Gulls along with a few Tufted Duck, I really was struggling for species at Cromwell today, I was however out in nature, a great place to be. My final chance on lifting the species list today was the feeding station and here I saw, Jay, Crow, Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Coal tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Stock Dove, Magpie, Chaffinch, Robin, Wren and Long tailed Tit.

That was about it for Cromwell and the day, the weather to be getting worse so I decided on calling it a day.

Video of the Day can be seen by pressing THIS

Pugneys Bird List : Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Canada goose, Crow, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Redwing, Robin, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Teal, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren (36)

Cromwell Bottom Bird List : Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Grey Heron, jay, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Robin, Stock Dove, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren (19)

Bit of a sunny day, so I decided on a walk out around Cromwell Bottom, mainly to get out of the house and into nature,

My first stop was at the cafe for coffee and cake, after this short break, I set off on to the reserve and headed towards the weir, nothing happening down here, so on to the reserve. I was finding it very quiet today, this was turning more into a walk.

I started looking at bramble patches, I eventually found one, a Spiked Shieldbug, a nice find. On then down to the riverside walk, once again very quiet, it wasn’t till l I got near the canal area that I picked up on Black headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Herring Gulls, and a Common Buzzard, which eventually came over the viewing point. Moving on, I didn’t take my usual route, but decided to go over the grass hump area, here I found a Common Darter, this probably being my last of the year.

The feeding station was to be my last call of the day, it was here that I picked up most of the species for the day Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Magpie and Dunnock.

My last call was the cafe again, for more coffee and cake, but I did see a Nuthatch here to finish the day

Bird List : Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Buzzard, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock, great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Nuthatch, Robin, Woodpigen

Dragonfly List : Common Darter

Today I was going further afield for the day, out to a place I hadn’t been for a number of years, I was also going with a birding buddy. We set off at about 7:30, as Tophill doesn’t open till 9am, it was going to ber a two hour journey, for us.

We arrived at 9:30am, bang on the two hour mark. The first port of call was the reception hide, where you have to obtain a permit to get onto the reserve, cost at moment is £3.50 for the day, plus car parking.

After all the formalities we concentrated on our target birds for the day, or Ducks as the case was. Our main target was luckily on ‘D’ reservoir, where the reception hide is, so we set about looking, thru all the wildfowl about, there were a lot. The first call was on a Black necked Grebe, not one of the target birds but nice to see, there were also Shovelers, Mallards, Gadwall, Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Teal, Pochard, Wigeon, Goldeneye to go thru. I thought this was going to be an endless task, other birders hadn’t seen the birds today, it was still early thou. Then it started, my buddy called on two birds blogging at the back of the reservoir, we all got on the birds and started checking, however the heads were tucked in, on both birds, Teal size, no white strip, then one lifted its head, we could see the pale spot at the base of the bill, we were sure we were on to a winner, the other bird did eventually show its head, we had found our two Blue winged Teals, lifer in the bag, we did return later in the day, and got the blue wing patch.

Good start, we moved next door for a snack and to watch the feeders for the reported Brambling, but we did get good views of Great Spotted Woodpecker ♂, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, but no Brambling. Our next was on ‘O’ reservoir, so off we went. On arrival two people said they hadn’t seen the bird, so once again we set about looking thru all the birds on the reservoir, lots of duck again, our target bird is similar to Tufted Duck, so we started with those. Birds again were Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Shovelers, Pochards, Tufted Duck, we couldn’t see it, but once again just when your going to throw the towel in, bingo, it pops into view, where was it hiding, this was a splendid male Ringed necked Duck, great to find and see, a great looking duck, very similar to Tufted , this being an American species, alas we didn’t find the reported Scaup, cant win them all.

We decided to try and find some of the reported waders that were about today, we ended up in the South Marsh Hide, which is located at the back of the ‘O’ reservoir. Here we saw Redshank, Teal, Common Snipe, Mallards.

A great day with a few year birds to boot and a lifer with the Blue winged Teals, I’m hoping these birds will winter here, be good to see the male in hie splendor of summer plumage. I enjoyed todays venture out looking thru so many ducks, tests the ID skills. I enjoyed Tophill Low, great reserve, very friendly helpful people on site, looking forward to the next visit.

Bird List : Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Black necked Grebe, Blue Tit, Blue winged Teal, Buzzard, Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, Jay, Kingfisher, Lesser Black backed Gull, Little Grebe, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pochard, Redshank, Ring necked Duck, Robin, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shoveler, Snipe, Teal, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren (47)

Short video, Common Snipe and Kingfisher PRESS

Back to my local nature reserve, I had time to kill, so I thought on having a few hours at Cromwell Bottom near Brighouse. I wasn’t out for anything special, it was a matter of being out in nature again.

A Sparrowhawk was my first encounter, heading over the car park at height as I was getting my gear together. There wasn’t anything the visitor centre feeders, or the river, I headed off to the main feeding station. Here I found Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Nuthatch, Magpie, Robin and a Wren.

I then headed off on to the river side footpath, nothing doing along here either or from the view point. Over on the ski lake were a few Black headed Gulls, but i couldn’t really see much do to foliage. I got back to the car park bridge, over the canal, where I heard a Buzzard calling, not to be located. Mute Swans and Mallards were on the canal.

A little snack at the café, coffee and cake, and another look over the feeders here, this time there were Coal Tits, Nuthatch, Blue Tits, Great Tits and a fly over Cormorant.

Only 21 species seen or heard today, however its not the list that counts but its the getting out that counts, sometimes to to force yourself to do it, but it does pay off.

Bird List : Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Crow, Coal Tit, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Jay, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mute Swan, Nuthatch, Robin, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove. Woodpigeon, Wren (21)

A few hours on my hands after the days jobs were done, so I decided on a visit out to North Cave, I arrived at around 12:30pm to the surprise that there was no butty van, glad I brought a few emergency rations.

i got the gear together, just camera and bins this time, and headed out onto the reserve. I headed down Dryham Lane to the sound of Blue Tits and Cetti’s Warbler, I decided on taking the path that skirts Carp and Far Lakes. I firstly stopped at the hide overlooking the main lake, here I saw Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Crow, Black headed Gulls, Mallard and Gadwall.

The route around to Carp and Far Lakes were very quiet, I did hear the familiar sound of a Fieldfare, I looked up and around to see a mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwings going through. Blackbirds, Robins, and Black headed Gulls, were seen around the Far Lake. On approaching the Snipe field area I saw a couple very interested in a bramble patch, I approach very slowly and quietly to find a Grass Snake basking about half way up on the bramble, needless to say it was a great photo opportunity, having never seen one as close I did take a few photos.

My next stop was the Reedbed Hide, here I saw Black tailed Godwit, Ruff, Little Egret, and Shovelers. After the Reedbed Hide I stopped off at the Dragonfly ponds where I saw Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters, Red Admiral Butterfly and Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly.

My final port of call was the Turret Hide seeing from here, Common Snipe, Grey Heron, and Greylag Geese.

It ended up being and enjoyable walk around North Cave setting off thinking I wasn’t going to enjoy my time here, how wrong I was, nature has a way of picking you up, and what an encounter I had with the Grass Snake

Bird List : Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Coot, Cormorant, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Long tailed Tit, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Redwing, Robin, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Shoveler, Skylark, Snipe, Tufted Duck, Wigeon.

Butterfly List : red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell

Dragonfly List : Common Darter, Migrant Hawker